Because it is a ‘soft skill’ the value that Internal Communications adds is difficult to measure in financial/profit and loss terms. You can’t say at the end of each quarter ‘here is the amount of profit attributed to Internal Communications’ – or can you? More intelligent business leaders are beginning to see a wider variety of influences that can impact on the bottom line.

It doesn’t take a genius to recognise that business is run by people – without people there would be no business. Small and large businesses rely on their people to make the venture successful. In a small business everyone pretty well knows what is going on and events and changes are discussed regularly. It is up to the business leader to enthuse and engage everyone and this is what makes each member of the team more productive.

In a large business, or one where people are scattered across number of different sites, the need for communication is greater. Just as in the small business, the CEO/leader of a large business needs to enthuse and engage. This not so easily done with a large or dispersed workforce and this is where Internal Communications comes in. They must interpret the words, vision, message of the leader and enthuse and engage the people within the company to feel and act in a positive and energised way to achieve the business goals – it must matter to them. Good Internal Communications can make this happen.

Where there is no communication throughout a company many people feel cut off and unimportant, they don’t understand where the business is going, and worse, they don’t care. They become lethargic, content to pick up a salary and while the days and months away focusing on holidays and weekends. The more ambitious will become restless and start looking for a greater challenge.

On the positive side, with good communications everyone knows what is expected of them, what the business is trying to do and what’s in it for them. There is a greater understanding of the big picture and because they are constantly informed on progress and changes and they feel part of it. Internal Communications allows a business to tap into the very valuable knowledge and ideas of those on the ground who see the problems and frequently come up with ideas to solve them. This can save a business a lot of time and money in consultancy fees.

Here at Alexander Hughes we have a deep understanding of the Internal Communications sector - if you're looking to recruit Internal Communications talent, or are looking for your next move, please contact me (m.walsh@alexanderhughes.com) today.